Yume-mi
by Jashi
Summary: A girl named Ayako has the power of dreams; the power to see the future. She is under the infulence though, that she is insane. What will happen when she meets a monk who knows what she is? Please R&R!!!
1. PART I: Chapter One: Insane Dreams

YUME-MI 

(Dream-seer)

A Fushigi Yuugi fanfic by Jashi

Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yugi or any of the characters except the ones I created specifically for this fic. I did not make any money writing this; so don't sue me!

WARNING: This chapter is rated PG for language and angst. 

PART I: **YUME**

Chapter One 

I cried the night my mother died. I cry inside myself now, wishing I had died a long, long time ago. I walk the streets of Konan's capital, and I look at the people. I wish I was like them. But I am not. Physically and mentally. I remember what I look like. My back is mottled and mutated with scars. I can thank myself and my mother for that. Those suckers ain't self inflicted. I got them because I am???…..insane, supposedly. I see things that happen in the future when I dream. And I'm pretty sure they've always come true. Because I make them happen. That is the only possible solution. I think. 

I feel pretty tired. I haven't slept in a while. I'm unsure so much now, because I have nothing to lose. Scratch that.

The only thing I have to lose is my life.

But, that wouldn't be too shabby for the world, ne? I mean, who would come to my funeral pyre? The wind maybe. I smile as I think of this. A little girl walks up to me and starts pulling on my leg.

"Do you have some food?" she asks me with pleading eyes.

I say no, but I'll get you some.

SHIMATTA!!!! How stupid am I? I go and steal food, and then what? I get caught. Yeah, smart move, 

Ayako. Now I will go freakin' mad in this little cell. Goddamnit. Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no.

I am not going to get a vision here!

But I can't stop it and I can feel it coming.

Oh wow. I see people in houses, sick and dying. Everyone is dying. A plague…. 

Now I see some sort of healer's diagram. Parts are missing and parts are there.

I wake up, quivering. Cold sweat drips down my face. I shake like I'm freezing,

Which I am, mind you. 

I need to get out of this cell and to someone who will listen to me. And someone who makes a difference in the world. Maybe the healer's diagram was to show… I can change the future. I have a choice. 

This is new.

Usually I see crops burning and murders happening and…….other things I force myself not to think.

It sucks being me. But, hey, there are people who are worse off in different ways. Different ways.

Somehow I need to get out of here and to the emperor. Hahahaha. This is another example of how crazy I am.

But this is a plan, no matter how crazy it is. 

"Guards!" I yell. They come running over to my cell and one has a heavy sword in his hand. He sticks the sword through the bars a little. I grab the hilt and slam it into the lock;, breaking it with a heavy *crack*.

I swing the cell door open and slam it into the guards and I am on my way! Man, either I have really fast reflexes, or they have really crappy reaction times. Run, run, run, run, run!

That's all I can do right now. Just run. I hear the guards coming after me. Oh well. They can catch me or kill me now, I don't care.

I'm real unsure right now, eh?

Running like the dickens towards the throne room, (I have no freaking clue where it is) I try to dart behind pillars and such. In my rush, I don't see some guy with a shakujo (monk staff), and I plow him over, knocking us both to the ground. I jump up, mutter "gomen nasai" , and get the heck outta there. 

To be continued……

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(we all know who the guy with the shakujo is, right??? I hope.)

I do not own Fushigi Yugi, so don't sue me. I don't have a job and I didn't make any money writing this fic.

Yuu Watase and Flower Comics own it. 


	2. Chapter Two: Run for Your Life

YUME-MI

(Dreamseer)

A fanfic by Jashi 

This chapter is rated PG for language and angst.

Chapter Two

(Chichiri POV)

*crash*

A girl runs right through me and we both fall to the ground with a mighty crash. She jumps up and I hear her mutter "Gomen nasai." and then she runs. 

I get up, dusting myself off, when I'm cornered by the guard. 

"Lord Chichiri! Has a girl passed by here, running pretty fast?"

"She literally killed me no da." I mutter to myself, but to them 

I say, "Hai, why are you chasing her no da?"

The guard cleared his throat. "She escaped from the dungeon. We believe she might be suffering from insanity. She said she needed to see the emperor immediately; it was a matter of life and death." The other guards were cracking smiles and laughing.

"Did you consider believing her no da?" 

At this, the head guard burst out laughing. 

"Believing her?! Hahaha! If we did that to every prisoner who said they needed to see the emperor, Saihitei-sama would be dead."

"Well, ya better go find her then, no da." I say, and the guards go off. 

For some reason, I think that girl was telling the truth. Just a hunch. Ya never know about this kind of stuff. Anyway, I decide to casually walk in the direction the guards went.

You never no what's going to happen no da.

(Ayako POV)

Crap. I'm lost. Palaces are extremely confusing. I walk up to a door and think is Saihitei in there?

Take a wild guess, Ayako.

I open the door and guess who's there? Saihitei-sama and advisors too. Great. Hope this works, 'cuz if it doesn't I'm in deep shit. I bow down low.

"Saihitei-sama, I am sorry to have come in on you like this, but I absolutely must talk to you."

The advisors start to laugh. "A simple peasant person wanting to talk to Saihitei-sama? Simply outrageous!" they laugh.

My temper boils inside me like a volcano. 

"Saihitei-sama, as an emperor, you should treat all subjects equally, no matter how poor and no matter how forlorn."

One of the advisors jumps ups and gasps like I've just killed him. 

"How dare you tell the emperor how to rule!" he yells.

I shrug. "Just giving him free advice." I say. 

The guards have caught up with us. They grab me and try to drag me away. Oh, now I'm pissed. 

I struggle and put up a fight like I haven't before.

"Goddamn you people! Let me go!! Just let me talk to Saihitei!!"

That's the last thing I say before something hits my head.

(Chichiri POV)

I see a group of guards outside the conference door. One man is sheathing a sword. My worst fears are confirmed as I run there.

"What the hell did you do to her no da?"

A guard chuckles. "Simply knocked her out. We wouldn't kill her if that's what your thinking. However, we will put her in a high security cell which means the lowest level of the dungeon." he says rather fast. Another man is carrying her and it looks like she will have a nasty bump on her head when she wakes up.

I duck my head into the conference room where only Saihitei/Hotohori is.

"Hey, Hotohori, why didn't you stop them," I ask casually, "Did you even try to listen to her 

no da?"

He shrugs, "She just burst in here and a minute later the guards caught up with her. One of them banged them on the head with a sword hilt," I wince. "And it happened pretty fast so I couldn't stop them." he says almost apologetically.

I don't want to ask what else he's going to do with her, because I'm afraid I'll get an answer as bad as this. I'm thinking I will talk to this girl. I sense something special about her. Like an aura or something.

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Hi! Do ya like it so far? If ya like it, e-mail me!!!

I don't own Fushigi Yugi, Yu Watase does; so don't sue me! 


	3. Chapter Three: Confrontation of Trust

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi

This chapter is rated PG for language and angst. 

Chapter THREE

(Ayako's POV)

I wake up, literally frozen to the floor where they threw me. My God, its so freakin' cold down here. I shiver in a corner of the cell, wishing for light, fire, and heat. I shake my head in remorse.

God, I'm freakin' crazy! Trying to get to Saihitei-sama like that, it was an act of recklessness, stupidity, and a thousand other things I can't name. I can't stop myself from shaking. I want to cry at the hopelessness of my situation, but I can't. I'm not small anymore, and long ago I taught my self not to cry. It shows I am breakable. You can break me physically, but never in my mind. Never. I rub my hands together for heat. It helps a little, but if I die when I fall asleep, I'm blaming the cold.

(Chichiri's POV)

I decide to go down to the cell. Walking down the many stairs to get to the bottom level, I realize why they don't need chains down here. The cold keeps the prisoner unmoving and frozen in place. And it's almost totally dark down here. Using my monk's powers, I make a flame in my hand. 

I finally reach the last level, and see only a few guards there. I look around and I don't hear anything but the guards.

(Ayako's POV)

Crap. I can hear someone coming down the stairs. I'm the only one on this level at the moment. This is bad. Very, very bad. But, I'm so cold, I can barely move. It sounds stupid, childish I know. I'm afraid of something I can't see. Is this what living has done to me? I just put my hands over my head and hope he doesn't kill me.

(Chichiri's POV)

The guard let's me in, telling me to keep it short. I want to give him a stern look, but my smiling mask won't let me. I set my shakujo by the cell door and make my flame burn slightly higher. I glance around for the girl, but I can't see her.

"um….Hello...is anyone here?…" I whisper softly

"Yes…." I hear a voice, quiet, and breathless, from a corner. I turn to look and see her there, scrunched in a corner with her hands over her head. A light layer of frost covers her hair. My heart softens some. I have a lot of sympathy for people who aren't listened to. Her head jerks up a little and she looks at me. She quickly takes her hands from her head. 

I brighten up. This means she isn't afraid I will hurt her anymore. I hold my flame up to my face so she can see me.

"I'm Chichiri no da!" I chirp.

"I'm Ayako. Nice to meet you, Chichiri-san."

I sit down near her. She draws her knees up to her chest as tight as she can and shivers. 

"So are you here to interrogate me or what?" she asks with a joking smile on her face.

"Sort of, no da." I say sheepishly

"Well, let me give you the answer. One: I am not insane. Two: I am not insane. Three: I am not sure if I am insane. End of story."

I wince beneath my mask. She's obviously been called insane more than a few times. A prospect I had not hoped for.

"Why do people think you are insane, no da?" I ask softly, knowing this comment will hit home. 

(Ayako's POV)

Tell him why people think I'm insane? That is insane! How could I tell a man I met five minutes ago my whole life story? Ai yai yai yai yai! I can't even see his damned eyes! I need time to think. 

"Chichiri-san," I say, choosing my words carefully, "If you could come here tomorrow, I will decide whether or not to tell you. No offense, but I have no idea whether to trust you or not."

He seems taken aback, but then smiles.

"Sure, Ayako-san!" he says cheerfully. I'm laughing in my mind. Yeah, I wish I could smile. 

He stands up says sayonara, and leaves, taking light and fire and heat with him.

Yeah, I wish I could be happy.

(Chichiri's POV)

I walk away from the cell, making a mental note to bring a blanket for Ayako-san tomorrow. Sighing, I walk to the pond, and I start to fish. I see Tasuki and he comes and sits next to me.

"You seem sad."

"What's the matter with feeling down sometimes no da?"

"Something is the matter when the monk who is always bouncing around and smiling is acting sad.

That's f***in strange to me."

I laugh.

"So who is it? Or what f*** is it?"

Hm. Is it safe to tell Tasuki about Ayako? Now this is strange. Any other time I would not have hesitated to tell Tasuki anything. 

(Tasuki's POV)

Aw, geez, now I can tell I've dropped in on a f***in delicate situation here. I think, though,….maybe even I can handle something like this. 

I say, trying to sound trustworthy, "Chichiri, ya can tell me if you want."

He looks directly at me. 

"I think I can trust you, Tasuki no da. I went down in the dungeon to see a girl who is believed to be insane. Only I don't think she's insane, no da. I'm thinking she has a gift, or magic. I felt an aura around her…."

I nod. I don't really understand a lot of that 'magic aura' stuff, but Chichiri does. A girl who is insane, eh? I've never met anyone insane. I'm starting to think almost no one is and I'm about to say this. But then I remember Nakago and shut up. 

"Do you think she is insane, Chichiri?"

"Not at all no da. You can tell when people are insane, because they don't feel right. They don't have control of their minds no da."

I shrug. "Makes sense enough. So she's down in the dungeon?"

"Lowest level no da."

I shiver. I've heard it's terribly cold down there. I like to be warm. 

"So yer going to go see her again, right?" I ask.

He nods. "Tomorrow no da. I asked why people thought she was insane, and she said to come tomorrow. She doesn't trust me completely yet no da."

I slap him on the back, almost making him fall forward into the water. 

"Cheer up Chichiri!! There's no reason to feel bad if yer tryin' to help her. Now, I am going with you tomorrow to check out this girl." I say cheerfully.

Yeah, this sounds interesting. I have one small, insignificant question.

"What's her name, Chichiri?"

He laughs because he had seemed to forget that small detail.

"Ayako, Tasuki. Her name is Ayako."

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Hi! Jashi here. I do not own Fushigi Yuugi, Yuu Watase does. I hope you like it so far. For those of you who are wondering, there is romance in this story but not until later. There is plenty to keep ya busy till then, I assure you! Please review this! I do not welcome flames, but if you have something critical about my fic, please make it constructive criticism. 

Thanks, e-me at chichiri_681@msn.com


	4. Chapter Four: Climbing out of Icy Hell

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi

This chapter is rated PG-13 for our favorite bishonen bandit and the thoughts of our favorite insane-ee. Hahah, I just love putting my characters through hell. Ayako isn't insane though, if you haven't figured that out already. 

CHAPTER FOUR

(Ayako's POV)

Brrrrrr……. A night of frozen hell. 

Yes, kaa-san, I slept well.

Heheh. I am scrunched in a corner, very, very, very cold. I feel frail, like I've walked a very long time. I am now aware my hair looks white and straight instead of the black-wavy it usually is. I smile. Hehehe. I'm actually in a good mood now, because I might just get out of here. Back to sunlight, fire, heat and the sky. I love the sky. That's why I hate places like this. Also because that etchi guard kept giving me weird looks. *twitch twitch* Oh, this is not the time to piss me off. But I am so, so cold. I start to focus…on heat, light, the sun. I suddenly feel it, the warmth. It's like a dream, only it's good, it's warm….

(Chichiri's POV)

I and Tasuki begin the long, long descent down the stairs to the lowest level of the dungeon. We managed to get half way down before Tasuki had to use his tessen to light the way.

"Che! It's really…" *trip* 

*crash*

"Tasuki-kun, are you alright no da?" I yell. 

"REKKA SHINEN!" 

I jump out of the way and cling to the wall as a blossom of fire emerges from the dark. *sweatdrop* 

A flame walks towards me, and I see Tasuki with a large lump on his head. 

"I'm f*ckin alright."

"Heheheh, I hope, Tasuki no da."

A grumbling Tasuki sort of leads the way as we walk down the stairs, for another half hour.

We finally get there. The guard looks at us suspiciously. Tasuki waves a piece of paper in his face.

"We have a writ from Hoto- Saihitei! to take a look at this prisoner."

"Then do so."

Tasuki grins at me. He shows me a blank scroll-piece. 

"It's so nice 'ta be a bandit." he sighs. 

"Now where in f*ck is she?"

I clear my throat. "Oi, Ayako-san, where are you no da?"

A clear, cold voice I recognize rings from a corner. 

"Over here, Chichiri-san. I'm sorta stuck." Tasuki moved his tessen over to the corner where he saw a girl, with white hair, scrunched in a corner. An iron clasp around her upper arm chained her to the wall.

"The guard didn't like the way I was looking at him." she laughed

Tasuki sweatdropped. "Eh."

"Okay, Chichiri-san, have you brought a convict down to join me?"

Tasuki grew red with rage. "I AM NOT A F*CKING CONVICT!"

"You will be if they see that writ from Saihitei."

*twitch twitch*

I couldn't help but laugh at this conversation. Ayako was sharp.

"ANYWAY, I need to tell you this stupid story so I don't get frostbite down here. My hair has already turned white."

"Okay, then, Ayako no da, tell away."

"I see things when I dream, sometimes they're just visions. I see the future. I've seen fire and the next a house burns down in my village. I see…*gulp*… a murder and the next day a merchant is struck down with an arrow right in front of me. I know this is crazy sounding, insane, but it is true. I saw Saihitei take my advice and reassure a guard of his, even though he was not worthy to be spoken to. It is what I saw that made me panic that day, and go run. I almost got to talk to him, but then some bastard hit me over the head with a sword hilt. I saw that day, a plague that will kill half of Konan. But I also saw the cure, or more, parts of it. I need to work with some advanced doctor…." she trailed off…

Suzaku….that is sad, cruel, inhuman, and insane sounding, I must admit. But it is true, this I know. I feel the aura, an aura Taiitsukun taught me to recognize, though I never thought I would feel it.

A prophet's aura. 

I take a deep breath. "Hai. You are telling the truth. I can feel the prophet's or in this case, prophetess' aura from you."

I glance at Tasuki. He nods, revealing he can feel it too. 

"Let's go then no da." I walk over, and I press my fingers to the lock. The lock quietly explodes. I give her my hand and I pull her up. She leans over and discreetly shakes all the white frost out of her black hair.

Tasuki gives her a weird look. "You looked better with white hair."

"Thanks oh so much, Tasuki-kun."

"Yer 'oh so welcome' Ayako-san."

I can see these two will hit it off just fine. 

I decide to try to trick the guard myself. I flash the blank-scroll piece in front of his eyes and say, 

"This writ also let's us take this girl from custody no da. Please let us pass."

The guard did, and we walked up the stairs, Ayako and Tasuki fighting the whole way, mostly Tasuki though. 

"Heheheh. I believe that if I had not had the brilliant idea of the blank-scroll piece, you'd b' still stuck down there with the ice and the snow." 

"I probably would have thought of another plan."

"Like yer last one?"

"Heheh. Very funny. It almost worked."

"Yeah, you wish it did."

"Am I supposed to feel bad about some bastard hitting me over the head with a sword?"

"Yes you are."

"But I don't."

"Then yer screwed."

"Tell me something I don't know."

We finally get to the top. I open the door. Ayako nearly screams and hides behind Tasuki. 

"Yaaa! Che! I've been in the pitch black darkness for two days, Chichiri!"

Whoops. "Er…Gomen nasai."

Ayako covers her eyes with one hand and placed her hand on Tasuki's shoulder.

"Now you get to play hero," she says, "and lead me until my eyes get used to the light."

We finally get to the throne room, Ayako tripping over numerous things until her eyes become used to the light. 

"Che! You could have done a better job leading me, Tasuki." she muttered.

I instruct her in what to do. 

"Say you are a yume-mi when you go in no da."

"What's a yume-mi?"

"A dreamseer."

(Ayako's POV)

Big gulp. I open the doors, walk in and kneel down.

"Your Majesty, I am the Yume-mi, Ayako."

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I hope ya like it so far!

Fushigi yuugi ain't mine. 


	5. Chapter Five: What Am I?

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi Warning: This chapter is rated PG for language and angst.

Chapter FIVE

(Saihitei (also known as HOTOHORI)'s POV)

I gasp inaudibly as the girl bows down low before me.

*flashback*

"Your majesty, Saihitei-sama, I am the yume-mi Ayako."

*end flashback*

The yume-mis are a sacred, foreboding, intimidating kind. This girl, whom I do recognize from two days ago, seems completely innocent and…… I contradict my own thoughts. She is intimidating. 

"Lady, if you are a _yume-mi_, as you claim, you must prove it to me." I say carefully.

(Ayako's POV) 

Prove it to him? I never thought about this! Oh, crap what do I do now?? I can't rely on anyone else. Just myself. I close my eyes. 

"If you do not believe me, half of Konan will die, but if I must prove it to you, I will." I think in my head.

Something strikes me. 

"Your majesty, last time we met I gave you some advice, remember? I told you that, as an emperor, you should treat all subjects equally, no matter how poor and no matter how forlorn. You did that, yesterday, by telling a young man that if one man could do something, so could another man. Am I right, Kiju Mishin?"

A younger guard blushed. "Yes. He did tell me that, lady."

Some of the advisors gasp. The emperor looks at me with strange eyes. 

"How did you know that?" he asks.

"I saw it." I say.

He nods. "That is proof enough in my eyes. Yume-mi Ayako, tell us what you have to say."

I take a deep breath. "I have seen a plague that will kill half of Konan. This is very hard to believe now, I am sure. But if it is a reassurance, I have also seen the cure. More or less, I have seen parts of it, but there are blank spaces too. You need an advanced doctor to figure this out. A grave thing is, that if you think I am lying, half of Konan will die and YOU will be the one to blame, because you knew." I scare myself with the intimidation in my voice. Intimidation. It's a strange word. It means "striking fear in others". I never have looked at myself this way. 

Well, there is a first time for everything.

Saihitei looks at me like 'who the hell are you' and motions his councilmen to a small room. I fall to my knees; this has taken a lot out of me. Chichiri walks up and stands behind me. 

"How did I do?" I ask timidly. "Did I screw it?"

He laughs. I hear Tasuki mumbling, "You just scared the living f*ck out of 'em."

"Yes, you certaintly did no da. But Saihitei believes you, and he's trying to make the feeling unanimous."

"Oh."

"Saihitei will do anything to protect his country and his miko no da. He really is a great emperor, though he is very young."

"Young for an emperor, true. Hey…. Wait a sec.." I say, coming to a realization. "He's a Suzaku seishi! I thought I saw something on his neck. It was his sign."

"You f*ckin nailed it, but Hotohori wants to keep it private."

"That would mean Hotohori is in love with Suzaku no miko."

"WHAT!" yelled Tasuki and Chichiri face faulted. 

"How did you know that no da?" Chichiri asked

"I felt it; that's why he believed me. He doesn't want the miko to get hurt or sick. It's amazing; the feelings he harbors for her….and she's in love with another man." I say tragically. 

Whoa. How the hell did I know that? This is getting too strange for me. Am I insane? That is my mantra lately. 

Am I insane Am I insane Am I insane Am I insane Am I insane…….. You get the picture

Saihitei comes out and speaks. "We have accepted the lady's trial. You shall begin work tomorrow."

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE NEXT DAY:

(still Ayako's POV)

Wow. That's the first time I've slept in a real, live bed in two weeks. It's still pretty early in the morning, so I'm just looking around. It's quite pretty here in the palace. But, then again this is the first time I've been in one. It might be white trash to someone else, but I don't know who. I get dressed and walk out, look at the pond. I can't tell if there are any fish or not. Someone taps me on the shoulder, and I almost hit the ceiling.

"Gomen nasai." a deep, gentle voice says, and I turn around to face a giant. Wow. He is _really_ tall. I'm pretty tall too, but I am god be damned _dwarfed _byhim.

"Ohayo gozaimasu!" I say, and bow. 

"Ohayo. I am Mitsukake. And you are…Ayako, the yume-mi, I believe."

"Hai. And you are a Suzaku Shichiseishi, I think."

"Correct. I am a healer, and in order to fulfill the prophecy…"

I finish his sentence. "…I need to work with you to fill in the missing parts."

He smiles. "Let's see what you saw, Ayako-sama."

I hold up my hand. "Just Ayako, please. I'm not that great…am I?"

He gives me an odd look. "Yume-mis are the great prophets of the world. The lineage is great, the power is undeniably unbelievable." 

I feel…ano…strange. The power is undeniably unbelievable. What power have I shown, other than the future-seeing? That is a great power in itself, but it is…deniable…and believable. 

So what else must happen? What else must show? Who the hell am I related to that is a yume-mi? 

Not anyone I know.

Mitsukake sees the look of confusion on my face and chuckles.

"This must be very confusing for you."

"Ano…hai. It is…confusing…and sudden….I only found out I was one yesterday…"

He chuckled again.

"Come with me, and we can start to work. You'll need to show me exactly what you saw."

"I can do that with no problem."

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Hiya! This is kinda short…but I needed it to be, because the next chapter will be loooooong.

There is going to be romance but it will come later in the story. Please review!!!!!!!!!!!

Go see the 1st chapter for disclaimer. 


	6. Chapter Six: Hangover

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi 

Rated PG to PG-13 for language, and themes.

Chapter Six…

(Ayako's POV)

Ano… I don't really know what to think. In the past two hours, I have somehow forced myself to see the dream four times. 

You might say my mind's a bit tired now. 

Mitsukake let me have a quick break because he understands this is hard. 

The dreaming, that is. 

Never mind that I'm also getting a crash course in advanced medicine. 

But I'm not going to complain. I'm lucky. Mitsukake is pretty cool. Tall, strong, and silent, you might say. 

Teehee. ^_^

But anyway, the sun isn't so low now, it's the true morning. There is lots of bustle. 

Truly, I liked it better when no one was awake. There was so much quiet!

I laugh to myself. 

Mitsukake appears at the door. 

"Ayako-san? We should get back to work now." he says in his quiet voice. I do a mental sigh. At least he's stopped calling me 'Ayako-sama'. 

We sit there, in the inside room, and simply think. Cogito ergo sum. Just think. 

I'm starting to get just a tad angry. 

We've actually figured out one of the pieces, with four more left to go. 

I sigh and sit back, and think really, really hard.

If only I knew I was going to be doing this…

(Chichiri's POV)

Grrr…no da. Tasuki has a hangover…AGAIN NO DA! Jeeeeesus, does the guy know how to drink without getting so drunk he gets a hangover so bad only Mitsukake can fix it?

Don't answer that no da. 

And I'm trying to find him, but the healer seems to have permanently hidden himself somewhere where I couldn't possibly ever find him no da. 

I'm in a bit of a bad mood right now, no da, because Tasuki also did some…er…daaaa…inappropriate things while he was drunk. Nothing too bad, but enough to make a guy feel…blah, no da.

Heheh, no da. 

I hear sounds of talking when I pass a room. Mitsukake's voice, deep and very quiet. But, there is another voice . 

Dark…fluent…nice to listen to. 

Ayako's voice.

I think it has changed, from the time I first met her.

Which is REALLY weird no da. 

But she's in the same room with Mitsukake, so I finally find my way in. They must really want privacy, because I can't hear what they're really saying. It's something in advanced healing, or more complicated things. I wonder how Ayako learned it so quickly. 

I knock on the door, and quietly open it, and walk in. They look up from their slight debate. 

"Ohayo, Chichiri-san." says Ayako cheerfully. 

"Ohayo." says Mitsukake.

"Er…gomen for disturbing you. But Tasuki has a hangover again no da…" I stutter a bit.

Mitsukake chuckles a bit. "That is to be expected." he gets up, and walks outside, and walks down to his room. When he returns, he has a small bottle in his hand. He throws it to me. 

"That's a pain lessener. It won't cure him, but hopefully it will teach him a lesson." he says. 

Ayako and I laugh. 

"I doubt that it will." says she, placing her head on her hand. She sighs and looks away. 

(Ayako's POV)

I sigh. Good lord, I am beginning to hate plants. Well…I'm afraid I must take that back, but still, I'm getting tired of…thinking of nothing but them. Chichiri leaves, saying, "Good luck no da." 

Heh. That man is so cheery. But why, I have no clue. Scratch that. One of these days I'll randomly know. 

I'm having a love/hate relationship with myself. 

I wish this power would drip off me like water when it rains. But then I remember that I can do good with this power. But then I think of the past…and then I feel like I may cry.

No.

I will never cry, never let a single drop of water gently pour from my eyes to caress my cheek.

No.

No.

No.

No.

I will never cry again.

!@!@!@!

Hey there! It's Jashi. I know I said this chapter would be long…but it's not really.

I'm so sorry L don't flame me! I beg of you! But I am sorry about the wait for this chapter. 

Ayako's acting a bit like the psycho she is, eh?

But Ayako's NOT A PSYCHO!!!! Remember that! If anyone says she's a Psycho, I will hunt them down!

*rants for a few more minutes*

Ok… I got that out of my system.

I don't own FY, but I do own AYAKO. ~Jashi~ 


	7. Chapter Seven: Mayami

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi

Author's Note: Gomen nasai about the shortness of the last chapter L I certainly didn't mean to make it THAT short, Otaku Pitcher (hehe)

Chapter 7

****

Two weeks later….

(AYAKO'S POV)

It's late at night, from what I can tell. I just woke up, and the moon is high in the sky. I shake my head to rid the images from behind my eyes. God, I am so nervous. Great Gods in the sky, look down on me in mercy tomorrow. 

Tomorrow is the day I must take the Test of Prophets. 

*shiver, shiver*

The Test of Prophets…I don't know what it is. Taiitsukun, the Creator, says my physical features will most likely change. 

I stand up, to look in a mirror hanging on the wall. 

I am about five feet and five inches. My black, wavy hair gently rests on my shoulders. My eyes are a bright blue. I try to take a deep, steady breath, but it is difficult. I try to calm myself, but I'm shaking and I can't stop. I have never been so scared in my life. Taiitsukun said that no prophet has survived it in the past one hundred years. 

Who's to say I will?

Taiitsukun also said that if I survive…I must take a Creed. I must follow the Creed of Seers or I will lead humanity's downfall. I shiver again. 

I am afraid. 

This is hard to bear. I take my cloak and wrap it around my shoulders. I quietly open my door and walk outside. The night air is sharp, but the wind is soft. I lean over the rail and look at the pond. Mitsukake and I have been working very hard these past two weeks, figuring out two more of the hidden pieces. We still have time, but we are wondering what to do _after _we have figured out the cure. I sigh. I guess…If I do not live through the Test of Prophets…then I will have made no difference in this world. There will have been no point of me if I do not pass this test. So I vow now, I swear I will pass that test.

I softly laugh, thinking of how corny that sounds. I flex my hands, and think back to the dream I was having when I woke up. I saw nothing, only felt cold, and things ripped through me, but I did not shed blood. 

It was odd. It was painful. I have no wish to figure out what it meant.

But I will, sooner or later.

Gods, I am never going to get back to sleep…

****

In the morning…

I awaken. I shiver again. That is officially old news, Ayako. I hate this, this anxiousness, this fear. Gerrr…

I stretch, and grimace. I ache all over for some reason. Then I realize…God, it's from the dream. About two hours after I awoke and had a small bout of insomnia last night, I gave myself a dream that made me fall asleep…but then the same dream, the dream of cold and blood, it came back. I remember that awful feeling. I shake my head and rid the image. I dress quickly, and splash a little cold water on my face. I walk outside my room. It's a little cooler now, but the weather in Konan is always nice. I would like to visit the other countries, but…

God. Why does death linger in my mind? Why can't I be just a _little _optimistic?!

It's because of the odds Taiitsukun gave me. No one in a hundred years… 

Well…all I can think is "oh well.".

There. 

That's an optimistic thought. That's better than nothing. I somehow have a feeling inside…that there is a use for me. That I will be used. I don't know how I know this. I don't really know how I know anything. Ha. That is pretty hypocritical, but that's okay. 

It's mid morning, and the day is just starting to begin. I take a sigh of the morning air, and notice a friend.

I met a girl named Mayami right after I first met Mitsukake. She's learning how to be a court musician. 

"Ohayo, Mayami-san!" I say cheerfully. 

"Ohayo!" she returns the greeting with a smile. She is learning how to play flute and is a year younger than I. 

"How is Hiroshi? He's not still biting your head off, is he?" I ask, a smile light on my lips. 

She chuckles. 

"No, no. I told you he doesn't do that!" she laughs, and gently taps my head with her flute. We giggle, and it reminds me of the little girls that chatter in the courtyard. 

Suddenly, ice overtakes me. Fear, fear, fear. It runs through my blood and bones and crushes them like a pebble being rolled by an ocean. I see…

I grab Mayami and shove her against the wall. She cries out in surprise and the roughness of the wall meeting her front. It comes.

A huge black bird-demon screams out of the sky and rushes at incredible speed towards us. I push Mayami as close to the wall as I cover her with my body. The demon screams an awful cry that makes me wince. It flies past us at a speed of something very fast. It's claw catches on my arm and scrapes it as Mayami screams. 

"HELP!" I yell, and guess who pops out of nowhere?

Chichiri, of course.

He sensed the demon when it came, and he throws some ki blasts at it. I see a certain red-head throw fire, and finally, a huge rock comes out of nowhere and squashes it like a bug. I take a breath and step away from Mayami who turns and falls to her knees. I place my hands on her shoulders, and shake her just a little. 

"Mayami. Mayami. Daijobu ka? Mayami, talk to me, onegai." I say, and stop lightly shaking her. She looks up at me, her eyes filled with fear. 

"A-a-arigato, A-a-ayako." her voice quivers. "I'm fine."

I smile. "Phew. That was close, wasn't it?" I speak slowly. She nods, and stands. When I reach out my hand to help her, she pushes it away and walks quickly away. I sigh.

"Oi, Ayako!" yells Tasuki. They walk over, Chichiri, Tasuki, and Nuriko. 

"That was a bit rude." remarks Nuriko, looking at Mayami's retreating back. I shrug, and try not to portray the hurt I'm feeling inside. 

"It's the general reaction of anyone who's sees …something like that…. first hand." I say, trying to convince myself. I shake my head. 

Chichiri cocks his head a little, and I can tell there is an expression of concern under his mask. Thanks, Chichiri, but I don't need it right now. I need to concentrate on the task at hand.

Jesus.

I'm giving the cold shoulder to myself, I'm putting all emotions out of my mind, and becoming like a Communist of a long, black rod of steel.

Wait a minute. 

What's a Communist?!?!?!?!

@#@#@#@#@

HA-freaking-HA! The test is not in this chapter! THE NEXT CHAPTER, I SWEAR TO THE LORD ABOVE, WILL BE THE TEST. Heheh.

I hope you like it so far. 

I don't own FY. Heheh. Please review, and thank you to all who have reviewed it so far!

~Jashi!~


	8. Chapter Eight: The Test of Prophets

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi

Rated PG-13.

Man, I am so sick of putting up the disclaimer that, if you wanna see it, go look on the first seven chapters. I am no longer putting it up on this or the future chapters. Hehe. ^_^ 

This is Ayako's Test Chapter…

*DUN DUN DUN DUN* 

Oh yes…

****

WARNING, WARNING, WARNING!!!

__

This is one of those few places that my PG-13 rating comes in for 'themes". If you are easily disturbed, or cannot handle such things, feel free to exit out now. It's not that BAD but, yeah, I don't wanna suffer! You have been warned. Do not flame me for this!

Chapter Eight….

(Ayako's POV)

I sigh as Chichiri spreads out his cloak in order to teleport me to Taiitsukun's mountain. For some reason, Miaka and the Seishi all want to come watch. I like them and all, but it's going to be even harder with THEM watching. Oh well. It would be anyway. I and the others step into the middle of the kasa, and suddenly we begin to _sink _into…oblivion can be my only guess as my breath catches in my throat and I go ram-rod still. 

"Ah…" I whisper under breath as I feel us disappear and go flying at a bajillion miles per hour. I open my mouth to scream, but we are there before I can.

All in a heap.

How funny.

I happen to be on the bottom, with Miaka and all Seven of the seishi on top of me. 

"ITAI!" I yell, and try to pull myself out from under them all. 

"Minna, get off us no da!" yelled Chichiri, who happens to be on top of me. I blush quickly, but then a huge **snap **throws us all off each other. 

"Gods, you all act like young children." a colder, old voice comes from behind me.

"Er…gomen ne, Taiitsukun-sama…" I stammer a little. She actually _smiles _at me.

"So. You are finally here. Are you afraid, Ayako?" she says in a stony voice.

"Ano…yes." I answer, "And that is something I cannot omit."

"Good. Fear is something that may save you…or destroy you. And now…Ayako. It is time for your test. Ready or not." she says, a slight hint of malice in her voice. I look sheepish, but then, a huge inferno of fire opens in the center of the room. I jump back in surprise.

"Walk through that and your test is passed." Taiitsukun says. Suddenly I am filled with fear. It is not the fire which is the test. It is what is _within _the fire. It is almost like a funeral pyre…an omen of death. But there is nothing within the fire but itself. It must be a mental test of some sort. 

"I must warn you, Ayako, that if you do pass this test, your physical features may change drastically. And do not take me lightly when I say that."

I nod, and try to make myself stop being so nervous. Taiitsukun turns to the seishi.

"Seishi…and miko, for that matter, I must ask of you one thing. You must not go near the fire, or Ayako right after she comes out…**if **she does come out. You will be horribly burned beyond belief. And I mean it. No amount of seishi resilience or strength will protect you." she stated meaningfully. The seishi nodded. 

"Oi, Ayako, don't be so f*cking nervous! You're going to come out." mused Tasuki. 

"He's right, Ayako." says Nuriko with a small glint in his violet eye.

I smile. 

"Don't worry. I plan to come out." I say smiling. 

"Enter the fire, Jiang Ayako!" Taiitsukun's voice rises, and suddenly, my feet are moving on their own to the fire. I stop for half a moment, and take a short breath.

__

Ja ne, minna-san! I call out with my mind, and I hear Chichiri take a sharp intake of breath and I step in.

****

(author's note: the wording here is going to be pretty weird and crazy, because this is her testing experience through her eyes. The reason Chichiri gasped was because he 'heard' her little telepathic mind message. Hehe. ^_^ Prepare to go through hell with Ayako)

Pain pain screams screams, oh the screams make them stop! The pain in my ears, they won't leave me alone! Burn burn , freeze, frigid ice cold enough to freeze my blood. Breathe, try to breathe, my lungs are fire and my breaths are snow. Lightning zaps and echoes through my veins. I want to scream, but lungs are vessels of pain and ash. Something black, something terrifyingly evil snakes around me.

**__**

Yes…Jiang Ayako. A dreamseer come to take my test…Haha, she is strong. She does not bend at my will! But she will…sooner or later…

The thing speaks…or something…and I see it. Oh gods, I can't close my eyes! Fires, evil, massacres, screams, oh god, the screams! They beg me to help them, but I cannot move, as swords and arrows pierce flesh, as men lose their families…and then commit suicide. Children are being… gods! How can I say it?!?! They hurt, I hurt. They want me to help them...I can't! I am bound by magic or something! Let me go! Pain, force, suffrage, rebellion against chains of life. Scream, but nothing leaves my mouth. The pains… No. No. No. I see the prophets that came before me take the 'test', and I see them burn…die…be maimed…be utterly and totally dismembered…

No. no. NO! HOLD ON TO IT, AYAKO! DON'T LET IT GO! HOLD ON TO IT!

HOLD ON TO THAT LAST SHRED OF SANITY!!!

No, no, no. I will not break. 

I will not break. 

I will not break. 

I will not break. 

I will not break. 

I WILL NOT BREAK!

The black spirit returns…

**__**

Ah… you are stronger than expected. Your will is very strong. I am Nijiko, the first prophet of this world; He Who Is The Test. Every prophet earns his own title, heheh. You still have not passed. If you can survive the metamorphosis and awakening…I will declare you free, and a dreamseeress. A prophet. But…you shall break, I can tell. Heh. Another addition to the piles of bodies of the prophets.

No. No. I will live. You are wrong, Nijiko! Do not doubt me. Do not doubt those who are 'weak'. 

**__**

But I know everything about you, Ayako. Everything. I know why you scream during the night…it is not because of the future… is it? 

Shut up, shut up! Yamero! I will not remember! I WILL NOT REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED THOSE YEARS!

**__**

Ha. You cannot face them. You will easily disintegrate during metamorphosis….

Gods, the pain…I am being dismembered. Amputated. Becoming several parts instead of one. My bones are melted , and recreated to their original form like a metals-man working hot, burning, liquid silver. I am nothing but a spirit awaiting her body. Pain, pain, red hot liquid metal silver pain. Itai. Suddenly, it feels bright and sunny and shimmery all around, and then there is awful pain as I am recreated and become whole once again. Oh gods…I feel so…queer. There is no pain at the second but I anticipate more. Anticipate anxiously. 

**__**

So you survived. That is a surprise, Jiang! You are a new type of dreamseer. Frail…yet understanding, and caring, and powerful. You shall give your ancestors something to think about, that's for sure. Now…the awakening will make your magic noticed, and your weapon be known. Naifu no Akuma! Knife of Nightmares! Aid to your mistress, and become her weapon of truth! Fulfill your contract with the gods!

Swirling, roaring, pain. Something comes _out of_ my hand. The pain gently recedes. I still am so, so, so, so, so, so sore. I will never forget. I will never break.

The final step is close, so close I can feel it. 

I step out of the fire.

What????

I MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

^*^*^*^

Yahoo! Wai, wai! I did it! Thank you, but this is not the end! More to come. Thank you to all who have reviewed this story and given me support. God, I love writing this! ^_^ Review, please, if you like. I hope this chapter was not too disturbing. The next one will be up soon.

Ayako: Yeah, yeah. That's what she says. Damn, I need a doctor. *ow, ow*


	9. Chapter Nine: What the Heck Happened to...

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi

Rated PG-13

Yahoo…it's the ninth chapter! Wow, this is my longest fanfic. _Ittenshikai _is only like five chapters…whoa. Oh yeah, if anybody likes this, go read Ittenshikai. My friend Ai and I are in it. Heh. But it's not your ordinary self-inclusion! Heh, ^_^ Okay, on with Yume-mi!

Oh yeah, **NOTE: The POVs are bound to be confusing in this chapter, so be alert! (gomen ne…)**

Chapter Nine…

(ano…I'm not really sure who's POV to put this in…er….okay!) 

****

(Chichiri's POV)

God, why did I hear that in my head? I do not know, but as soon as Ayako walked into the fire I took off my mask. 

And began to worry.

We cannot see Ayako, but I can feel her in there. Wait…I think…I can see her. I think…she is walking out. 

Ayako has walked out of the fire.

Thank you…Suzaku.

****

(Ayako's POV (hehe, sorry) )

Oh god. I walked out. I made it. I made it.

I.

Made.

It.

I have never been so truly happy. But, the second I step out, I manage to make it one step before I fall. My legs give way and I have never felt so weak in my entire life. I also feel different. And I'm in a lot of pain.

Taiitsukun smiles. 

"Ah, my child. You passed. Very good." she says, grins. 

It is then I lose consciousness.

**__**

Some time later…

I-itai. I awaken, and my head hurts. And so does my back. And every other thing that could possibly.

Including my brain and mind and heart and emotions. And every other thing that could possibly. 

God… Is this what they call a flashback? I now remember every single little insignificant detail of…it.

That cursed Test.

I shake. I want to cry. But I'm not going to. I want to scream out in the suffering of this hell that has been pushed upon me. So I scream in my head. As loud and as hard as I can. I grip the sheets and suddenly cry out in pain. I unclench my hands to see a multitude of bandages around my right hand. There are only a few bandages around my left…how odd. The knife came out of my right hand. That's why it hurts like a b*tch. 

And my mind feels so slow…

And now my hand is bleeding. Itai, itai, itai. Gods, where are Nyan-Nyans when you actually need them? I stand, and it's not as hard as I thought it would be. I'm clothed…in total black. It's like someone died while I was asleep. Maybe I died.

Maybe I'm really not here…

But then why do my hands hurt so badly? 

That must mean I am living. I open the door, and walk out into Taiitsukun's domain. I don't know my way…so I'll just blindly walk around, until I find someone, I guess.

I don't feel correct. My bones…they feel strange. And so does my mind and my thoughts. Gods. 

I walk through, until I come upon a room. I open the door.

Chichiri, Tasuki, Tamahome, and Taiitsukun are there and they gasp. And suddenly, I realize what's wrong.

Tasuki, Tamahome, and Chichiri are much shorter than they were. 

"Che! Who the hell are you?!" demands my red-haired friend.

"What? Tasuki, don't you recognize me?!" I say, my heart rising to my throat. Tamahome stares. Chichiri quickly takes off his mask and looks at me oddly. 

"No, obviously! Who the f*ck are you?" he yells. I stare, and I realize it might be true…

…that I did die. But I can't have! I didn't break for Nijiko! I LIVED. 

"Tasuki no da. Are you really that daft?" Chichiri chuckles and gently hits him over the head. 

"It's Ayako."

Tasuki blinks, and I sigh. 

"Whoops. I didn't f*cking recognize you with the white hair."

My heart stops.

"WHAT?!" I screech, and Taiitsukun, laughing, shows me a mirror.

My hair is **white**. Pure snow, icy cold white. 

It's scary.

I look as though I turned a thousand years old over night. And the men with me are all so much shorter! I'm not really as tall as any of them yet…but Chichiri's only about a half inch taller than I. Which means…I grew roughly three inches. And damn, my hand hurts! A Nyan-Nyan bounces out of nowhere.

"Fix fix cure cure Ayako!" she and ten others say together. 

"Can you fix my hand, please?" I say, and hold it out. The Nyan-nyan shrink back. 

"Nyan-nyan no fix curse-wound! Nyan-nyan no fix!" she/they say. They/she bounce away then, like a rabbit running from a stronger, meaner, hungry fox. Taiitsukun sighs.

"That is from Naifu no Akuma, true? It must heal naturally with no magic. Or else…"

The space is unforgiving. 

And I wonder…

If I will ever be forgiven…for everything I have done?

^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%

Okies…a bit short, but "jimmy crack corn and I don't care, jimmy crack corn, and I don't care"

THANK YOU to all of you who gave me reviews for chapter 8...*cries* thank you, thank you, thank you.

Ayako: So…she actually updated within… a week or two? I think it will be a while before she updates again. Because I am the Yume-Mi who knows All.

Jashi: L Shut up, Ayako. 

Ayako: Do not deny the truth, grasshopper.

Jashi: *throws mallet at Ayako*


	10. Chapter Ten: Monster

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi

Hola. Enjoy!

Chapter Ten….

****

(Ayako's POV)

Gods…I take a lock of my hair and stare at it for a moment. It's straight and white. Perfectly straight. Pure, snow white. It's odd. And I'm taller. Much taller. I tie some bandages around my hand, and the pain lessens. 

"Taiitsukun, where is Naifu no Akuma?" I ask as I sit and wrap my hand. 

"I have it. And I need you to stay here, on Mount Taikoku, so I may teach you how to use it.' she says seriously. I nod, wondering about it. Not exactly how I will use it, or what it's powers are, but naively, what it looks like. I quietly push the thoughts from my head, and try to focus on the task at hand. Suddenly, I realized.

"Taiitsukun! What about the cure for the plague?" I say quickly.

She snickers. "There is no plague. Nijiko sent that as a pretest to see how much control you had."

I stand up. 

"Of all the idiotic tricks…" I mutter. I turn to leave, to find Mitsukake and tell him it wasn't true. And we spent so much time on the frickin' cure! Gods…this angers me, and I simply stare into the air, my thoughts twisting and burning within my head. 

"Do not be so angry, Ayako!" Taiitsukun cries. "It was a test! You must learn to decipher the real and the dreams. You must also learn to control yourself in the dreams." she says with seriousness etching her voice. 

I nod.

I turn, and leave Taiitsukun there. I walk the halls, trying to get to the outside. I see Nuriko. He stops dead.

"Who are you?" he asks, cocking his head at me. Suddenly, I am frustrated. 

"Gods, why doesn't anyone recognize me!? It's **me**! Ayako!" I say, and put my hands out in an expressive manner.

Nuriko blinks.

"Suzaku…is that you?! You're hair, it's…"

"White, yeah. I know." I mutter. 

"And you're so much taller too! Wow, Ayako. You're eyes didn't change though. They're still bright blue." Nuriko states laughingly.

"Thanks, Nuriko." I chuckle. 

"I'm looking for Mitsukake," I say, "do you know where he is?"

"Why?" he asks

"Because. Taiitsukun just told me the plague was a test. A **test**. So there is no plague, and all of our hard work and worry went to nothing." I say bitterly.

"You're kidding!?" a voice says behind me. 

The red haired bandit comes over and shakes his head. 

"Jesus, it just sucks to be you, Ayako!" he says, and suddenly my heart freezes. I agree with him. But it's more than that. It's walking around and remembering everything that happened during that test…

The awful, twisted, demented, psychotic things I saw…

The pain, the dismemberment…

And the screams…I remember the screams. Helpless, crying, painful screams. And I could not help those who screamed. I clench my hands in spite of the pain in my right one. 

"Konnichiwa, Ayako-san!" a chipper voice I hear. Chiriko. My mind smiles. 

"Konnichiwa." I say in response. Something in my mind sparks, a little fire beneath my white hair, and tortured mind. 

"Chiriko," I say casually, "how did you know it was me?" 

He smiles. "Tasuki-san said your name."

Tasuki and Nuriko face-fault and I glare at them.

"It's not that funny…" I protest. 

"Oi, Ayako-san." the innocent Chiriko looks up at me. 

"Hai?"

"What was the Test of Prophets like?" he asks, and my world begins to fall apart.

"Yeah, Ayako. What happened?" asked Tasuki.

My mind gently crashes, layer by thin layer. Layers that have been tortured and fought. And I have won those wars in my mind. The memories…they will scar me inside and Nijiko will never let me forget. I shake my head vigorously, and back up until I can feel the support of a wall behind me. I turn and rest my tired head against the wall. 

"Please…please don't ask me that…" I whisper. 

Nuriko cocks his head. "What?"

"I said PLEASE DON'T ASK ME THAT!" I yell and clench my hands so tightly my right one begins to bleed again. The pain is excruciating. Nuriko and Chiriko step back, as though I am some monster.

Some insane monster…

Taiitsukun appears. Thank you, God.

"The Test is to see if the prophet is mentally strong enough to withstand the horrors of humanity. Ayako saw the most awful, disturbing, terrifying things in this earth. Be glad that you did not have to see them." she says sharply. I open my eyes to see the compassion in Tasuki's eyes. Dammit. I don't want the sympathy. I just want HELP. 

HELP.

Can't anyone out there help me? Taiitsukun flicks her hand and suddenly I am lifted and teleported. 

When we land a second later, I stammer.

"I-I-I'm sorry…" I stutter ungracefully.

Her hand touches my head. 

"Quiet, child. You are not expected to deal with this all on your own. And it is hard. You have strength in your mind, though. Your mental strength overrides your physical endurance. If you want to win, you _can, _Ayako. And you _will_. But only if you have enough faith in yourself to try that hard. It will be a very, very hard battle to stay sane. You may lose. You could win. It is your choice." she finishes, and presents me with some bandages.

I begin to wrap my hand, to heal.

And my mind will heal, eventually.

I will win this war.

****

And I will not break.

^%^%^^%^%^%^%^

Hello….and goodbye…not much to say. Though the next few chapters will be more active where Ayako learns magic and stuff like that…^_^ yay!

~Jashi~


	11. PART II: Chapter Eleven: The WaterMirror...

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi

Hola. Hola. And more hola. I am now splitting Yume-Mi up into parts. The first part, **Yume**, consists of Chapters One through Ten. It will not always be like that! Just a warning… I don't know how many parts there will be.

Now, it is time to get off the Test thingie… and move on to the next road to take, to begin the new journey… I pronounce PART ONE over! PART TWO must now begin!

****

PART II: _FINALITE _

Chapter Eleven…

(a/n: "Finalite" means "purpose" in French ^_^)

****

(AYAKO'S POV and I'm sorry minna, but the POV's will be kinda confuzzling) 

Ah…they are leaving. To find the shinzaho is their mission. I told them to go, to fulfill the destiny and save Konan, and to hurry to do it. They must save themselves and Konan.

That is their purpose.

They left a few days ago. And this is my third day of training.

*sigh*

I have learned to speak into minds, telepathy it's called, in three days. Now Taiitsukun is making me speak only in my mind to her. Gods above, this is annoying! She hits me with that friggin' mallet every time I speak with my mouth! Gerrrrr…

And now I am staring into a pool of water. Mizu Kagami. My new lesson:

Learn how to see things…before they happened, when they happened, and as they happened in this water-mirror. 

**__**

((Ayako, you must concentrate totally and fully! Let your power flow into the water. Take the image in your mind and shove it into the water.)) she mind-speaks to me. Shove it into the water, eh? That shouldn't be too difficult. I wonder what I should try to see…

Ah, that's it. I'll try to see the seishi on their boat sailing for Hokkan. It's easier than trying to see what'll happen tomorrow.

**__**

((Ayako! *mental mallet whack* Stop dawdling! You must surrender your vision and mind to the water.))

Feh. Easy for her to say.

A boat…on water…blue, lots of blue. The water in the shallow bowl begins to churn as my mind tries to latch on to it. Music drifts through my head…

Oh wow…a thousand rivers flowing through me. Rushing flowing flying. Then it starts to fade and my eyes snap open to see still water in the bowl.

Dammit.

**__**

((Er…whoops. Sorry Taiitsukun. What did I do wrong?)) I mind-speak sheepishly. She sighs. 

**__**

((Try again, Ayako. This time, put your soul into it. Just try it again.))

I sigh as she did, and grip the edge of the table. I focus, and this time, I tried harder than I have ever tried in these passed one and one-half days. Gods above…

I close my eyes, and suddenly, it seems as if it is all complete, all in place. My heart begins to rise, and a soft wind seems to play with my hair. The water is churning in a clock-wise direction, faster and faster and faster. More wind, more flight. I can almost see the image as I myself spill over. As though I am overflowing. 

But then I am twisting. Spiraling into darkness. I am falling falling falling falling falling falling.

Twisting, spiraling into the dark world where I do not know what is real and what is not. A dream? No. 

Something is taking me somewhere.

My only question is: Why?

****

(Erm…ON THE BOAT THE SUZAKU SEISHI WERE ON WHEN GOING TO GET THE SHINZAHO! 

Hehe. Alright, who's POV should I put this in? Mine or Ayako's? Oh no…how about CHICHIRI!

CHICHIRI's POV)

I stand on the deck of the ship. Tasuki is currently getting sick on the other side, and its not a pretty sight.

Everyone is bored. There is not much to do on this ship. I feel a strong ki, sudden and powerful flying at a remarkable speed towards the ship. Shimatta no da. I stand and something begins to appear at the front. The others come over as well, and a very green-colored Tasuki groans. He hobbles over. 

"Oh god, oh god, it better not be a Seiryuu. Or I really will puke." he mutters. A figure appears from a bluish light.

****

(AYAKO'S POV)

HOLY SHIT!

And more HOLY SHIT!

WHAT THE HELL DID I DO?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I am floating in midair above the prow of the ship. There is a blue-white, crackling electric aura around me. And if that aura disappears, I will surely go plunging to my doom in the waves. 

'Cuz I can't swim. At least not very well. Right now, I could use lessons.

The seishi are gawking as I come into focus. 

"Holy SHIT!" goes Tasuki. 

"Erm…Konnichi wa." I say, and now I'm sweating bullets.

Chichiri peers up at me. "You did something wrong during training, didn't you no da?" he says evilly.

"Yeah…" I say sheepishly, and the rest of them sweatdrop. 

"Oh God, Taiitsukun's gonna kill you!" says Miaka, grinning.

"Don't remind me…" I say. 

"So what were ya doin'?" drawls Tasuki.

"I was trying to see the boat on a _mizu kagami_. A Water-Mirror. And…well…I don't know what I did. I think I tried to hard and ended up transporting myself here. But I don't know how to get back…" I muse.

Nuriko gives me a look of mock horror.

"Ayako, tell me, can you swim?" he asks, that mischievous glint in his eye. And I want to kill him.

"No…" I say. "Why?"

"Because your aura is FADING!" he says, and sticks his tongue out at me. 

"Well then…" I say, trying not to let the nervousness come back into my voice, "I'm going to have to figure out how to teleport back to Taiitsukun's." 

Oh shit. I realize I am steadily sinking towards the water. OH shit.

*light bulb*

"That's IT!" I yell. This sudden burst of energy makes me sink a lot lower than before. When I teleported, the water was spinning _clockwise_. Now, if I could use that same effort and make the water go _counter-clockwise_! And I would go BACKWARDS! I AM A GENIUS!

Only…I'm above an ocean, not standing on ground in front of a water-bowl. And I have less time, and only one chance. And I've only done this once. Oh well. Here it goes.

"What's IT no da!?" yells Chichiri

"THIS!" I scream, and I surrender my mentality to the water. My soul floats away, and I can feel the ocean begin to churn in a counter-clockwise direction beneath me. My hair blows upwards and I can hear the shouts of the seishi and miko. 

Suddenly the spiraling feeling comes back, and the tune is replayed through my head. 

I am spiraling back into horror and I don't know where I will end up. 

Where will I go…

Where will I stay…

Where will I be tomorrow…

But now…

I must worry about today.

Where am I going?

I'll never know.

As long as I'm alone, or with someone else.

As long as I have myself.

I'll be okay, I think.

I think I may be dead or worse

I may just be alive.

But this hell won't stop

Until I scream.

And then refuse to cry.

I'm falling I'm falling

And no one's there to catch me 

But that's okay.

I'm used to that.

I'll land on my own feet.

And when I land 

I'll look back up

At the path I took

And just maybe start to cry…

^&^&^&^&^

Yay! This chapter wasn't insanely short. That's awesome. I like the poem thing at the end. It's just her thoughts as she teleports to…who knows where? Hehehe. Have fun reading!

~Jashi


	12. Chapter Twelve: Heed

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi

Hola. I am trying to make my chapters longer…but I am used to writing shorter things. It's simply easier for me to keep track of my story, as I have several other stories going right now…(my friend knows this. Just ask urd302.) So, I'm sorry for making chapters shorter, but I will try to make them longer. Thanks, Ja, and enjoy. Also…I'm kind of a poet, so there is going to be lots of…random musings of Ayako's mind in poetic form. 

Um…I'm afraid to say I've received my first…well, flame. At least for this story. Even in if it was only one sentence, it made me think. And now I'm set to defend. Maybe I'm making too big a deal out of this, but I've already been flamed on another fic by this same person. She said it wasn't a flame, but it was, and she knew it.

Thanks quite a lot, Hanah, for your flaming sentence. This is not a rip-off of X. This is a Fushigi Yuugi fic. Prophets do not 'belong' to X/1999. Seeing dreams and prophesizing are two things, one and the same, and yet they differ within each authors perspective. And how dare you say I rip off X. I only use Hinoto as an example as someone who sees dreams and the future. Hinoto, in X, dreams of the future as an ended world. Ayako is different.Ayako has a purpose, something other than constantly Yes, Ayako and Hinoto are both yume-mis. It's true I got the title for this story of an X site, because at the time Yume-Mi was in it's early stages. Because dream-seers are all the same, though different. As for being Mary Sue, Ayako is the main character. Go flame someone else's stories, Hanah. Why don't you go to all of the fics that say they have prophets in them and say they rip off X? And stop reviewing my stories. You obviously don't have anything nice to say to me. So just don't say anything at all. I'm tired of being flamed for doing something new. I'm sorry. I apologize before hand. 

For the rest of you who like this story, more power to you and me. Enjoy. 

Chapter Twelve…

****

(AYAKO'S POV)

Falling…

Don't wake me up from the fall.

It's not the landing.

It's the fall that kills.

I'm descending

Don't wake me from this descent.

Go against your morals, go against your laws

Go with what your instincts say.

I'm losing my innocence

Becoming sharp and jaded as I fall

Oh God, where are you.

You're not there, obviously.

I'm falling.

Don't wake me from the fall.

But….

Someone, grab my hand.

Oh god, just grab my hand. 

Don't wake me from this fall…

But save me if you can.

God…someone grab my hand. 

Darkness and I'm falling. I don't know where I am. Where am I? Maybe I'm awake or asleep. But I'm warm wherever I am. Maybe I shouldn't have attempted to go back. This feels like the test, where I didn't know what anything was. Suddenly there is a burning branch in my hand. 

I scream.

Thousands of burning branches, all around me. Fire burning crisp ashes burned skin screams death pain pain memories. I scream and scream and scream. I can't remember those years. No. No. NO!

I give myself to the dark blackness.

****

(CHICHIRI'S POV)

I stare into the spot where Ayako disappeared. Oh Gods, she's gone. I try to figure out how she did it. 

"How. The. Hell. Did. She. Do. That." says Tasuki, green no longer.

"Daaa…I suppose she used the water as a medium to transfer her energy in such a way that she could go backwards. It seems the water went counter-clockwise, so she definitely went backwards if she went anywhere." I say with not a lot of enthusiasm in my voice. 

"So…if she didn't go back to the mountain, where did she go?" Miaka says worriedly.

"She could be…ano…anywhere no da." I say. Anywhere is a huge place. She could be in the afterlife. She could be in Kutou. Or she could just be back at Taiitsukun's mountain. 

I don't know. And I can't tell if she'll be alright.

I can't tell anything.

****

(AYAKO'S POV)

Somehow my eyes open. Somehow. Miracles happen to few. And I think I have just received one. 

I'm in a BED. I can tell it is Taiitsukun's mountain. I flop backwards, only to feel sharp pains in my arm. 

There are tiny scratches all over my arms, as though I wrestled a rosebush. And I feel like crap; totally wasted. 

My hand feels as though it will fall off. I can tell it has bled and bled and only recently stopped. Itai, itai, itai. I wonder how long I have been unconscious. I wonder if I made it back here after I fainted.

I stand from the bed, and walk out the door.

A living bomb is waiting there for me.

Also known as Taiitsukun.

**__**

((AYAKO!! YOU BAKA, BAKA, BAKA! *multiple mental mallet whacks* YOU WENT TOO DEEP INTO THE SPELL! YOU ARE NOT READY FOR TELEPORTATION YET! YOU COULD HAVE DIED AND BEEN LOST IN THAT LITTLE STUNT YOU PULLED BACK AT THE SHIP!!!!)) 

She rants and raves on and on and on. 

**__**

((Taiitsukun…did that crazy stunt work?)) I think softly.

She sighs. 

**__**

((Yes…) she mind-speaks. 

And now it is time…time for dark sleepy-sleep.

Time for sleep.

****

Kokoro no naka de nemuru kimi wa mezameru koto nai kedo

kaerarenu mirai o sono te de kanjite

****

Inside your heart you are sleeping…

But you will not wake up.

Feel the hand of a future that cannot be changed.

I wake up, and it is morning. I still ache inside. I feel empty, lost. I slept a dreamless sleep; rare. Not really. I haven't had any real dreams lately. Maybe Taiitsukun's blocking them and they'll all come back in a mad rush. I'm not particularly looking forwards to that, but I don't really look forwards to anything. I stand up, and dress. 

Taiitsukun has told me to wear total black. 

After putting on the rest of my clothes, here comes my favorite item: the cloak, baby, the cloak.

Hehehe.

Time to go out and face the world. I step out the door.

Later in the day……………………………

I stare at the water. Again. Again I am staring at this pitiful bowl of water, silently praying to whatever God there is up there that nothing will go wrong this time. 

Silently praying.

I stare. I breathe in, breathe out. Feel the water. Be the water. I am the water. Now I must try to _see_ something in the water. Please let me see…I don't care, anything. Just something.

It is the wave of power that overwhelms me.

I am spiraling again. Spiraling down down down down down . Past the point of no return.

There is lots of blue. I suddenly realize I've been taken into a dream, not done the water-mirror's work. 

Am I at the ship? I can't see anything. But I feel. I feel lots of blue around lots of red. 

Masaka! I cannot be feeling these auras at this stage. 

The red…who would have a red aura? Auras have pretty random colors, I think. It's the power of the aura, the intimidation of the feeling that makes it so…aura-like. 

But there are only two colors, and I can see them. It's like the little colored balls little children would play with when they were small. Marbles…

But there are only TWO colors, which makes it odd.

Hmmmmm…

The auras all seem to have the same…texture. As though they are children from the same mother, but they are different. Then I realize, holy shit, the blue is all ONE aura. And it circles as it gathers 'round the few red ones. 

What is red and what is blue, these auras that plague me, what do they do?

Circling…surrounding!

What would have to do with magic, or power that is color-coded?

Think, think, think, Ayako! You're smarter than this. Colors…colors…what do I know that's red?!  
*mental click*

Suzaku! Suzaku's red. Suzaku's **seishi** would have **red** auras! That means….

Kuso.

The blue must be a Seiryu seishi.

A Seiryu…is coming to attack the Suzaku seishi!

I break, I crack the dream into two pieces. I awaken, and I see Taiitsukun nodding at me.

I close my eyes and shoot my mind…across the land…to the sea…to a small vessel with seven people on it.

**__**

((CHICHIRI!)) I shout in my mind to him. He immediately looks up, shocked.

"Ayako?…"

**__**

((Hai, hai! It's me. Chichiri, please be careful.))

"Why no da? Have you seen something?"

**__**

((Yes…I have. Be careful, Chichiri. 

There are Seiryus about.))

"About…you don't mean…"

**__**

((YES! A Seiryu is coming, and it's powerful. Please be careful. The Seiryu is coming.))

I break the connection. 

I look up and sigh.

Please heed my warning.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&&*

Hola. To all. Not much to say. Hehe, ja ne, minna san! ~Jashi.


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Premature

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi

*sighs*

I'm not fighting the criticism anymore, and if you feel that way about my story, fine. Mary-Sue, X rip-off, I don't care. I'm naturally a kind of…edgy person. I'm sorry for yelling, it's just that, well, I've tried to write fanfics, and ended up never posting them because I never finished them. This is the fanfic I'm really proud of, the one I really am passionate about. I just want people to like it. I will take your comments to mind. I'm trying to cut down on the multiple POV's per chapter, as I know it was confusing in the beginning. As for everything else, well, I'm happy with it that way. I'm the writer and I do the things that I want to do in the stories. It's just that well, I don't like it when people nit-pick at my writing, like how I censor, Japanese words, and how many punctuation marks I put at the end of a sentence. If you don't like it, well, go you. It's your opinion. I'm just writing this because I thought it was a good idea.

Chapter Thirteen…

****

(CHICHIRI'S POV)

__

Heed my warning…there are Seiryus about! 

Ayako's warning still lingers in my mind. I myself have been feeling like something is approaching. It seems to surround. 

Kuso!

It's already here, circling around us like a vulture waiting to devour a dying animal.

Ayako was just a little late.

Oh well. We'll figure out some way to fight them off…but on an open sea? With a seishi who's a key asset seasick? The sky begins to blacken, and the clouds begin to swirl. The sea begins to churn with frustration. The sky screams with thunder and it opens, screaming down torrents of rain. The wind flies like the phoenix through the sails, gently at first, then faster and faster, until it threatens to rip off the sails from the mast. 

Mitsukake grabs a rope to hold the sails to the mast. He grits his teeth and speaks to me:

"This is no natural storm!" 

****

(AYAKO'S POV)

I quickly stare at the mirror, adrenaline streaming through my blood.

The water-mirror begins to churn almost the second I concentrate on it.

Taiitsukun's eyes become wider. I know what she's thinking. I shouldn't be at this level yet. I should be still screwing up with thought-speak and dream interpretation. I shouldn't be able to feel auras clearly. I shouldn't be able to tell what color the auras are. I shouldn't be able to thought-speak with someone else over such a long distance. 

I shouldn't be able to do anything; any of this. 

And I don't know WHY.

The water begins to swirl and churn faster and faster. Something in my head screams, and then the water stops moving. And yet…

There is an image on it's surface.

Um.

YA-FREAKING-HOO!

But this is no time for celebration. I must see how the seishi are doing. I know I must have contacted them too late; seeing it as it was happening and not before.

I can see the winds rippling and tearing through the sails. The rain pelts and kills the wood of the boat. Lightning screams through the skies, and thunder bellows it's mighty voice. I see the seishi struggling, and Tasuki goes overboard. I intake a sharp breath. Miaka jumps after them, and then Tamahome jumps after both of them.

I seal off the water-mirror, and pull away. I'm shaking. And then I drop down, down, down into darkness of sleep and more dreams…

^&^&^&^&^&^

I KNOW THIS CHAPTER WAS **_INSANELY_** SHORT! Hehe. Sorry, I'm just feeling kinda drained and stuff. I haven't been feeling so hot lately, and stuff. Have fun, this is a crappy chapter I know, but it's a turning point, and stuff. Don't feel compelled to review. *laughs* I'm gonna go to bed now, 'night.


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Hole in the Palm, Knif...

YUME-MI 

A fanfic by Jashi

I want to say…a lot. So, thank you, yes, and read. 

AND…

Everybody should go download the Rurouni Kenshin mp3 "Run to You"!

Yeah, I suddenly feel better. Time to put some brainwork in! And also time to make up for the suckiness of the last chapter. I know I can go back and erase it, but I feel it just needs to be there. Okay! 

Hajimemashou! (let's begin!)

Chapter Fourteen…

****

(AYAKO'S POV)

Such darkness, such falling. I am falling. Now I'm glad I'm not afraid of heights, or else I'd be a nervous wreck by now. I feel kind of at ease hurtling downwards to where no one has been before, strange as that sounds. It's like I'm finally getting used to this…what is the word…pre-trial. Maybe that is not even correct, but there is no time to worry about that now. Suddenly, a blinding flash. 

I am standing. Odd. Crackling, what the frick is crackling? 

Shimatta.

I seem to jump out of the way and suddenly everything comes into play. I am on the seishi's ship. No way am I there for real. But somehow…I am there. As everything is happening. 

A Seiryu seishi, from the look of the sign on her thigh, is zapping the seishi with lightning.

And I am not kidding when I say 'zapping'.

Lightning flows from the sky around them, and it's scary. Miaka is left alone in front of the Seiryu.

Oh shit, oh shit. Miaka is…well, no offense to her, but basically _useless_ in a battle. So am I, as I have no combat experience, but I'm pretty good with knives. It is then I notice the sword Miaka has. 

That thing is giving off a holy aura. It seems to glow, but with no flash. Odd. 

I must now concentrate on the task at hand. But what is my task? 

Why am I here, a spirit that no can see? A dream-seeress? A prophetess? 

How am I supposed to change something when there is no way to communicate?

The voice is often taken for granted, and now when I most definitely need it, I cannot use it. 

I need to do SOMETHING! But what? What must I do? What CAN I do? I try to walk over and touch Miaka, but as I said, I am a spirit here. Anger fills me. Goddammit, what am I supposed to do? My mind can't--

That's it.

She starts to move her hands to call the lightning. It begins to circle, and Miaka begins to back up in fear.

I don't know if this will work…but it's worth a try.

**__**

((Miaka…)) I try with my mind.

Her head immediately jerks up. Success. 

"Nani?" she says quietly

**__**

((Miaka…it's me, Ayako. Use the sword to block her lightning when she throws it at you.))

Suddenly I am slipping, slipping back into reality, where I do not want to be.

No, I can't go back, not right now…but I am floating up. I am gone from the scene as much as I don't want to be.

I wonder, as my mind also begins to fade into unconsciousness, if she used the sword. She must have…or else I think I'd know. I think…I hope.

This is all I can do.

I open my eyes. I am drenched in cold, cold sweat. And I am shaking. I take a few deep breaths to steady myself. 

I look up at Taiitsukun, who nods and says, "That was a surprising turn of events. Ayako, you are too weak to do anything more today. Please rest." 

She turns and teleports somewhere. I am quite tired as I use the edge of the table to stand.. My hand is bleeding again. I don't think it will ever heal. I walk clumsily to my room, where a nightdress and some bandages await me. 

I pull the bandages off my hand, red and stained. It hurts, it hurts. I wrap the bandages securely around the hand, the palm, down the wrist, and around each finger. Hmm. This is the weirdest wound I have ever seen. 

At first it was simply a hole in my palm, albeit a large one. But small tendrils and scratches soon began to reach up my fingers and down my wrist. It's as though the whole was a seed, and now it is sprouting roots to grow in my hand. 

Maybe it is a sign. Of what though?

God, my life is simply FILLED with mysteries. Now it is time to investigate another. As I sleep, I will dream.

And unearth yet another mystery.

I awake in the morning as the sun shines directly in my face. Yare, yare, all I wanted was to sleep in a little.

No such luck. White hairs fall into my hair, as I quickly get up and dress. In total black, of course. First comes the _aoku_, the tunic and trousers. They, of course, are black. Black shoes next, and then I rest my cloak on my shoulders.

(a/n: an aoku is Chinese for tunic and trousers. They have loose sleeves, and also, the trousers are loose. An aoku is sometimes finely decorated with colors and patterns, but in Ayako's case, they are plain.)

I walk out, and a Nyan-Nyan pops out of thin air.

"Ohayo, Ayako-sama!" she says cheerfully, "Taiitsukun-sama need you! Need to see you! Need to see you!"

I sweatdrop, and hold up my hand. 

"Okay, okay, Nyan-Nyan. Where is she?" I ask.

"The Blue room, Blue room!" she begins to chant, and I quickly walk away with a quick, "Sayonara," to Nyan-Nyan.

I reach the Blue room about ten minutes later. It's hard to find the rooms here, because the stupid place is so big. I open the door and quickly walk in. 

"Ohayo, Taiitsukun-sama." I bow. 

"Ohayo." she replies. 

"Catch." she states, and suddenly, an object flings out of nowhere, and hurtles towards me. I fling out my right, bandaged hand, and catch it.

The impact of the object hurts my hand and I quickly transfer whatever I just caught to my other hand.

There is a small knife in my hand. 

And I mean SMALL.

I think the handle is bigger than the blade. By rough estimation, The blade is about two and a half inches long. The handle is about two inches, I guess. It is then I realize it.

I am holding the Knife Of Nightmares.

I shiver slightly. The Knife gives out an energy of purified evil. Evil that was powerful and terrible, but then purified by light. But it has kept the terrible power. I can feel it as it reverberates through me, coursing through my arms and legs, and it echoes in my mind, a soft scream. It is terrible yet awe-striking and pleasurable at the same time. 

Taiitsukun seems to give me a mischievous grin.

"Your next lesson: learn how to use **this**." she smiles with a glint in her eye that just says, "I'm gonna be able to whack you with a mallet a billion times because of how many times you will mess up with this"

But her mouth says something different.

"When you learn to use Naifu no Akuma, a great strain will be put on your mind and body until you master him."

I take a practice swing with him. He cuts the air, like all knives do.

**__**

You are a strange one. 

A voice speaks directly into my mind, dark and foreboding. I gasp slightly. 

**__**

I sound familiar, no? A bit like Nijiko? No, no. I am not Nijiko. I am the Naifu no Akuma, the dreaded Knife of Nightmares. I was sleeping inside your body, until Nijiko raised me up, and tore me out.

Jiang Ayako, daughter of Kanna, grand child of Suzume--

"What?!" I yell unexpectedly, "A grandmother--who are you talking about?" I say

**__**

Your ancestors, Ayako. Your ancestors. Your grandmother was a dream-seer.

"And I suppose it was on my father's side." I say dryly.

**__**

Yes. 

And now a lot of things make sense. But I just need one more answer…and I'll shut up for the rest of my life.

"Who was my father?"

%^%^%^%^%

Mwahaha. Cliffhanger. I suppose I've developed a habit of doing this, making you anxious? Hehe. Oh well. Have fun reading. We've got the "I never knew my father" thing goin' here. It's a question that lurks in the back of everyone who's only known they're mothers. If you think this is a stupid question, I want you to think again. Thank you. ~~Jashi 


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Believe in the Weak, Fo...

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi

Holllla! Hehe. I am officially sorry for being so evil with the last chapter…(^_^) "Dude, Where's My Father?" was what I was originally going to call this chapter…but it's not meant to be. But I will continually in my head think of this as the "Dude, Where's My Father?" chapter.

Hehe, on to the reading. Have fun with ancestral discoveries.

OH FYI: Um…this whole chapter is talk between AYAKO and NAIFU NO AKUMA until it says it's not…so Naifu no Akuma is in **_bold italics _**and Ayako is in regular print.

Chapter Fifteen…

**__**

Your father?

Yes, my father. Who was he? Or is he? Please tell me the story of my father.

**__**

Ayako, you must be prepared for truths about your father. Do not be afraid of what I will say. 

How many times must I tell you? I am not afraid. I will not break. Do your worst. 

**__**

Don't lie. 

Lying to myself is pleasurable. I find it an enjoyable activity. Telling the truth is just as fun too.

**__**

Now I will tell you the story.

…finally.

**__**

Your father's name was Ken Jiang. He was a traveler of sorts. He came across your mother about two years before you were born. They fell in love quickly and passionately. 

Your father's mother's name was Suzume.

In order to understand your father's story, I first must tell you Suzume's. She is the reason you are a dream-seer.

Suzume was born in the Shu-Shang prefecture as were you. She was born to a poor family, like you.

It is uncanny how much the two of you are alike. 

Hmmm…does the income of our family and the place we were born in effect our destinies?

**__**

If you would listen…

I AM.

**__**

I'm sure you are. Suzume was made a dream-seer by the gods Byakko and Genbu. She was not hereditarily born one. The process was quite painful for her. People began to react…nastily to her.

I know how she feels. Or felt.

**__**

That is one thing I think you may understand. Insanity? Yes. Many people thought she had insanity. As they will you, for your information.

Oh… But…I knew that…

**__**

Once in a while a sanitarium or jail would come after her and try to imprison her.

Did they ever catch her?

**__**

They came after her for three years, until Genbu no Miko came. Then she finally was freed…as in a way you were. But she was still shunned by almost everyone, locked away. She wasn't able to tell anyone of her prophecies, she had no magical training. One day she broke out, and ran to the country of the god Byakko. She met a man there, and had a child, Ken. She left Ken with an orphanage of sorts, a house of the poor, and continued her trek. Wherever she went she was known, and often stoned and beaten. When she reached Konan, she was an old woman. She had somehow learned the magic of prophecy. In her last, dying days, she wrote down everything she knew. In a language unknown to all. Including myself. 

A language…as she died…she must have been brilliant. Brilliant yet horribly shunned. Where did she die?

**__**

She drowned in a river flood.

WAIT A SECOND. How old was she? You said her last dying days. Was she dying when she drowned?

**__**

Suzume Jiang was twenty-seven years old when she died in the Jya-Gan River's flood. She did not know she was going to die. In her last days, she had just been writing down things, as though by force. Compellation. 

She was found the next morning…and her hair was as white as the snow in Kutou. 

…

**__**

The scrolls she had written all disappeared, and were probably ruined in the flood of Jya-Gan. Suzume is buried somewhere in an unmarked grave. The scrolls were lost…but oh well.

…

**__**

Jiang?

…

**__**

I see.

How…How can you just say that? 'The scrolls were lost, but oh well.' All that knowledge…simply lost.

And you don't even care! That knowledge could save lives, could save HUNDREDS of lives! AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IS, 'OH WELL.'?!

**__**

I understand your anger. The knowledge in those scrolls were priceless and lost. And I can feel remorse. But you will most likely write scrolls of prophecy, destiny, and knowledge of your own. 

That doesn't matter. I need something like that. 

**__**

You have me instead. Instead of the scrolls lost at Jya-Gan river, you have me, the endless fountain of

information. I was once a demon, a terrible demon who walked the night drinking the blood of humans.

And now you're a piece of kitchen ware.

**__**

…

What purpose do you have for me now? To fear you? A demon reduced to a knife. How did you become such a small, miserable thing?

**__**

A band of priestesses and monks who worshipped the gods came and imprisoned and purified me. They said I could live, only, I would be reduced to a state of where only certain people could touch me, and where I could be a help to the world.

So they made you…a demon knife. A knife to help us?

**__**

A knife to help the prophets. To help them whack through strife. I am still terribly powerful even in this state. But the power is not mine. It is yours. The powers of the prophets now fuel me. And you are the only one alive at this moment who can control me. 

Not even Taiitsukun can use you? The Gods? 

**__**

YOU. ARE. THE. ONLY. ONE.

Oh my gods. And then, Naifu no Akuma, why am I here? Why does this world need me? 

**__**

The gods created Suzume so they could have you…with purpose. You are the last of your kind. There will be no more dream-seers after you. 

Are you saying…are you saying I am all alone?

**__**

You are the last one.

And…my purpose here…is because of the two groups of feuding seishi?

**__**

Yes.

*images float across Ayako's mind*

It's cold…very cold. I'm high too. There's snow…this is the country of Genbu. Hokkan. But something is strange here...something is wrong.

A wolf. No, a wolf-man. And a tall, purple haired man…

Oh my god. 

They're fighting…and I can't tell who's winning. 

"Nuriko!" I shout. 

**__**

Time for your first lesson…how to change the future.

Change the future?

**__**

You can save Nuriko…but you must have enough courage to go after Ashitare. 

I have the courage. Just believe in those who are weak.

**__**

You said that to Nijiko as well.

That I did.

**__**

You can teleport yourself to the mountain in Hokkan. You've done it before. And I would recommend you stay with the seishi. You can learn more there. And much will come to you naturally, rather than be taught. 

Y'know what? Great. But I'm going. I'm going NOW.

****

(and this is where the conversation between Ayako and Naifu no Akuma ends. Ah, I enjoyed writing that! I guess Ayako learned more about her grandmother than her father, eh? A bit offtrack, but that's okay.)

(AYAKO'S POV)

I focus. I try. It stings when I begin to go, but I'm too rushed with adrenaline. I'm feeling, I'm falling, I'm dying, I'm being reborn or SOMETHING. 

I fall, and I hit something. 

Soft, white, cold snow. I'm there.

"Nuriko!" I yell. They are fighting a distance away, and I rack my mind.

**__**

((TASUKI! TASUKI!!)) my mind screams towards the most open person at the moment. I can feel his thoughts, how he is responding.

"What?"

**__**

((Tasuki! It's me, AYAKO! I'm on the mountain to the east!))

"Ayako? What the f*ck is it?"

**__**

((Dammit, Tasuki, get your ass up here! Nuriko is fighting with a Seiryu, who looks like a wolf-man! Get Mitsukake and the others NOW!))

I cut the connection, ,knowing he heard me. I hurtle towards the battle, Naifu no Akuma instructing me.

**__**

Focus your energy on the creation of something new…the creation, not the destruction will save the Suzaku and the Seiryu. Push your energy out, and pick the place between the both of them. Shove it out, use words! I will give you the words you need…

This amazing energy is running through my arms, and something whispers in my head, a hush-hush quiet whisper that tells me everything, that changes me, from my fear to courage, from my hair, black to white, from my voice, shaky to strong. The words are odd…words never put together before...

My hands fly, and so do I, as I, myself, fly between Nuriko and the Seiryu.

"**SHI TODOMERU ISSAI!**" I scream, my hands flying, bodies hitting the ground, and I'm pummeling into the snow, the cold wet snow.

a/n: Shi Todomeru Issai means literally, "death stops everything" Please forgive and correct me if I'm wrong! Yeah…I take Japanese…but I looked this up on JEDI.

I raise my head, and all my adrenaline is gone. I quickly crawl/move over to Nuriko. He's breathing and wounded, but nothing fatal. Nuriko stirs and opens his eyes. He sits up. 

"A-A-A-Ayako?" he stutters. 

"Yeah…It's me…" I say. The Seiryu stirs and jumps up, his hair standing on end.

Oh god, he's frightening. I draw Naifu, who immediately seems to 'buzz'. 

**__**

Put me away. You don't need me. Concentrate on keeping your purple-haired friend alive. Ashitaire will be killed even if he lives. 

I quickly put him away, and take some sort of battle stance. 

**__**

((Tasuki, where are you?)) my mind demands.

"I'm coming, god dammit! I just saw some bright thingie of light. Is that where you and Nuriko are?"

**__**

((WOW! I didn't know you were smart, Tasuki! YES, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE!))

"Che! No need to give me a headache!"

**__**

((I'll give you more than a headache if you don't get up here in more than fifteen minutes.))

I cut the connection again, before he can think of a good comeback. 

Nuriko and Ashitare suddenly run at each other, and there I am, flying after him, flailing, fighting, something, I can't tell. I don't know, it's all happening too fast. Nuriko jumps over Ashitare, outsmarting him for a second, then Aishitare turns, his claw out, and I'm running, I'm there, and I throw myself into Aishitare, knocking him away.

He snarls, I move, something bites down, and it hurts, ow, ow, Itai, mother of gods!

Aishitare's teeth release themselves from my collar, as I turn with my knife and stab him in the shoulder. He twists away, and Nuriko grabs him around the throat, and squeezes, and squeezes and then I feel something leaving, something twisting away, something totally going. 

Shi todomeru issai shi todomeru issai shi todomeru issai shi todomeru issai shi todomeru issai shi todomeru issai 

Death ends everything, totally and ultimately. 

I move over to Nuriko. He's fallen down on the snow, exhausted.

"Daijobu…desu…ka?' I murmur.

"I'm fine…scratched and bruised…but that's about it…You?"

"He bit me…and scratched me and yeah…that's about it…" I collapse in the snow, my arms still supporting me in the sitting position. 

" I need to move that rock…" he says. I put a hand on his shoulder. 

"Do it when Mitsukake comes and he heals you." I say, "in fact, I hear them coming, I think."

I can hear someone coming…Tasuki most likely. And maybe Mitsukake. Damn that bite hurts. What if I get rabies or something? Who's gonna save me then, huh?

"OI! IS ANYONE UP HEEEEEEEEEERE?" Tasuki's voice shouts.

"Yes, you baka! We're up here!" I say just so he can hear me.

Two people are alive, and one is dead on this outcropping of rock. It's better than two, or all of us dead.

I suppose I did well.

Nuriko really did it though…it wasn't much of me.

But I did help.

And we're alive right?

&*&*&*&*&&*&*

Weeeee! That was fun. Heheehe. Nuriko isn't DEAD! And neither is Tamahome's FAMILY! YAY! *cheers*

Haha, can you figure Ayako's purpose? And I suppose…will she ever learn of what her grandmother wrote?

Here's till then! ~~~Jashi

**__**


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Always

YUME-MI

A fanfic by Jashi

Moshi moshi, minna-san! Hmm…not much to say…except sorry for maybe not updating in a while…so enjoy. Thank you.

Chapter Sixteen…

****

(AYAKO'S POV)

We're alive. And dammit, my shoulder hurts. Tasuki brought Mitsukake, and Chichiri, Chiriko, Tamahome, and Miaka had all 'sensed' it. Actually, Tamahome more than Miaka sensed it. But I don't really care about that at the moment. I put my hand on my shoulder, and realize something.

Only the front part of the bite is bleeding. My back isn't, as it should be. It must be…must be…

The scars on my back must be so thick and numerous that his teeth couldn't go through them.

Oh, sadness.

A wish for my back to bleed rings through my mind. A wish…a wish…

I unwrap the bandages around my hand, and open the collar of my tunic. I push the bandages in, and wrap it slowly around my collar and shoulder. 

The other seishi finally reach the top. Mitsukake rushes over to Nuriko. The other seishi gather around us. 

Chichiri eyes Nuriko and I, and the dead Ashitaire a few feet away.

"This looks interesting no da." he says jokingly, offering his hand to me on the ground. I grab it, and stand, trying to steady my feet on the snowy ground. 

"It sure as hell was." I grumble slightly, and wince as my shoulder moves. I try not to yell as I shift it once more. My hand trembles as the wind bites it. The weird shape of the cuts reminds me again of a plant growing through my arm. At least it isn't too disturbing. The palm-hole healed up a bit.

But if you tried, you could easily poke a hole through my hand. Not that I want to think about it now, or the way their all going to ask what happened.

**__**

You are such a wimp, Jiang.

Shut up.

**__**

You're so weak, you can't even push away thoughts of what they do when they will feel me. You can barely stand pain, you weakling prophet.

I can't stand pain? YOU THINK I CAN'T STAND PAIN!!?? Damn you, you thing. You have no idea of anything that humans go through. You have no idea of sacrifice, or love, or pain to the human's soul or flesh. Mental pain is just as bad as physical pain, Naifu no Akuma.

**__**

That is why humans are so weak.

Believe in the weak.

**__**

I find that hard. Why not believe in the strong?

Because the strong will die one day. We all will. Everyone dies.

**__**

As will the weak.

The weak will learn to become strong. We all are strong. The weak are strong, yet the strong are weak.

**__**

Is this another example of a dream-seer's twisted logic?

I suppose so.

Mitsukake has healed Nuriko, and Miaka is asking him what happened. It's a scene I hoped would happen, as Nuriko is still alive to tell her, and I am not dead to tell her either. 

"…then Ayako showed up. We defeated Ashitaire. And that's it, basically." he explains, as I nod slowly. A version of the truth. Nuriko defeated Ashitaire. I really didn't do anything other than go between them. And shove Ashitaire out of the way. But that's it. That's all I did. I didn't DO anything. 

Or did I?

Did my interference in the lives and goals of these seven seishi and their one miko possibly alter the course of the future? Was Nuriko destined to die on this mountain, only I stopped it? 

If future is altered, the one who altered it pays. Slowly, but surely, they will always pay. 

ALWAYS 

THEY 

SHALL 

PAY!

What? What are these thoughts screaming suddenly through my head, vicious and wild like a thousand bloodthirsty horses, running for miles looking for a small human, so easily killed, to eat.

My hand begins to bleed at full force.

A scream dies in my throat as my knees hit the snow. 

"Mitsukake…do you have any extra bandages?" I ask quietly. My friend nods, and proceeds to help me bandage my hand. The seishi are waiting, waiting for Nuriko to lift the rock so they may come inside.

Always they shall pay.

Shall I pay like they did?

$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$

Kinda short and sweet, but this chapter is IMPORTANT to the storyline, so, I'd advise ya to remember it, at least vaguely. Merry Christmas to all, from Yume-mi.

Ayako: I suppose so. Merri Kirishimasu!


End file.
